#90 The Ancient Game of Snakes and Ladders with Polina Rud

What if one of the simplest children’s games was never meant to be a game at all?

On today’s episode of The Conscious Diva Podcast, I’m joined by Polina Rud, author of the new book The Cosmic Game of Snakes and Arrows: An Oracle for Mapping Your Destiny — a modern reimagining of an ancient spiritual teaching that includes the original game board itself.

Long before Chutes and Ladders appeared in playrooms, there was Gyan Chaupar — the Game of Knowledge. It wasn’t designed for entertainment, but for awakening.

In this conversation, we explore:

- How this ancient spiritual map became a modern board game, what was lost when meaning was stripped away.

- Using the game as an oracle and a powerful divinatory tool.

- How The Cosmic Game of Snakes and Arrows invites us to work consciously with destiny, choice, and self-awareness.

- Polina explains how each square/tile on the board provides a philosophical key representing different levels of human experience.

About Polina: Polina Rud is a doctoral candidate in art history at Moscow University with a master’s in international relations. She is an art curator and lecturer with expertise in Theosophy, Nordic runic oracles, and Hindu astrology. She combines therapeutic experience, including mental health and suicide risk training at UNAM, with diverse spiritual teachings, and is the co-founder of El Mundo Duele, an NGO that provides psychological support to human rights and climate activists. She's also a renowned gyan caupar guide; helping individuals uncover hidden obstacles. She lives in Mexico City.

https://polinarud.com

https://www.instagram.com/_polinarud/

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